Bomb shell with hanger socket structure



Jan. 27, 1959 G. A. LYON BOMB SHELL WITH HANGER SOCKET [FZVEZTZUF G'zaecs flL E/er A royv J 4 K 2 EL; 5 ffF/fgs.

United States Patent BOMB SHELL WITH HANGER SOCKET STRUCTURE George AlbertLyon, Detroit, Mich. Application February 18, 1955, Serial No. 489,240

1 Claim. (Cl. 102-2) This invention relates to a socket construction and a method of making the same and more particularly to a bomb hanger and method of fabricating same.

In the manufacture of sockets such as bomb hanger sockets every precaution must be taken to provide a strong construction and yet one which will not detrimentally affect the wall construction of the bomb.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel but simple hanger construction which lends itself to economical manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide an economical method of manufacture of bomb hanger sockets which can make use of a simple butt welding operation.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bomb hanger socket wherein metal from the bomb wall is efiiciently distributed and formed into at least part of the socket wall and the bottom of the socket can be simply formed from a cap welded thereto.

In accordance with the general features of the invention there is provided in a socket construction for a cylindrical article such as a bomb wall and the like, a cylindrical wall having a circular insert comprising a flange formed from a cylindrical portion of said wall about an initial oval shaped aperture therein, the flange projecting inwardly from the cylindrical wall at varying depth but terminating in a shoulder like edge disposed in a flat plane intersecting the cylindrical wall and a flanged cap with the edge of its flange flushly engaging and secured to the edge of the insert flange, the cap cooperating with the insert flange to form a socket.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision in method of forming a bomb hanger socket the steps of punching a hole in the wall, depressing the edge about the hole inwardly of the wall, and securing a cap to such edge to form a socket.

Other objects and features of this invention may more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof and in which Figure l is a side view of a bomb having a series of hanger sockets for suspending the bomb from the underside of an airplane;

Figure 2 is a side view of a portion of a cylindrical wall of the bomb showing the initial step of providing an oval-shaped hole in the cylindrical Wall of the bomb and illustrating by dotted lines the position to which the material comprising the edge of the oval-shaped hole is pushed inwardly in the formation of an internal flange on the wall;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line III--III of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows and showing by dotted lines how the flange, comprising a part of the socket, is depressed inwardly from the wall;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of Figure 3 showing how another part of the socket, namely, a

'ice

cap, is' applied to the rear edge of the inwardly depressed flange; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Figure 4 showing the completed socket with the parts welded together and threaded.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference character 10 designates generally a cylindrical bomb having a series of hanger sockets 11 embodying the features of this invention and which i are provided in the cylindrical wall 12 of the bomb.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated a horizontal cross section taken through one of the sockets 11 illustrated in Figure 1 and showing the completed threaded socket. This socket is adapted to have threaded into it a pin or the like for supporting the bomb from the underside of the airplane in a manner well known in this art.

Since it is believed that my novel socket will be best understood from a description of the method of making the same, I shall now proceed with that description.

The initial step in my novel method is to punch an oval or elliptical shaped opening 13 in the cylindrical wall 12 (Figure 1). This opening is of precalculated dimensions for reasons hereafter set out and is determined on the basis of the dimensions of the cylindrical bomb 10. In other words, as the bomb increases in girth the configuration of the oval shaped opening 13 approximates closer and closer a circle. On the other hand, as the cylindrical member or bomb 10 decreases the prepunched opening 13 is varied and becomes more and more elongated along the major axis of the cylindrical member or bomb 10.

The next step of my novel method is to depress inwardly a circular section or inset (see dotted lines of Figure 2) about the oval shaped opening 13 to form a flange 14 which has a shoulder-like edge 15 lying substantially in one plane generally in parallel relation to the major axis of the cylindrical member or bomb 10. From this result it will be seen that the purpose of utilizing an opening of a predetermined configuration is to permit the flange 14 to be depressed to form a continuous annular shoulder-like edge 15 which is flat and lies substantially within one plane. It will be appreciated that if a circle were punched in the wall 12 of the cylindrical bomb 10 in the illustrated embodiment then the shoulder-like edge 15 thereafter depressed would be irregular and not capable of lying within one plane without subsequently cutting or grinding the edge.

The next step of my novel method is to butt weld to the edge 15, by the use of any suitable apparatus, a cup-like cap 16 of generally the same cross sectional configuration as that of the depressed annular flange 14. It will be noted in Figure 4 that the illustrated cap 16 has an annular flat shoulder-like edge 17 lying substantially in one plane so as to be capable of lying flush with respect to the annular shoulder-like edge 15 of the annular flange 14 when placed in abutting relation therewith. It is in this manner that the butt welding operation is greatly facilitated since a good weld may be'more easily obtained in this manner, thereby lessening the likelihood of moisture seeping through the socket 11 to dampen and render ineffective the powder within the bomb 10 when the same is assembled.

The next step of my novel method is to tap or thread the inset annular flange 14 and the inner surface defined by the cap 16, as indicated generally at 18, as being aligned with the inner surface of flange 14. In so doing the formation of the socket is completed and ready to receive a bomb hanger or the like for suspending the bomb from the underside of the wing or body of an airplane (not shown).

Hence it is now possible by virtue of my novel method to utilize part of the bomb wall to form an annular flange to which is efliciently attached a cap, .by

means of butt welding, thereby economically and simply forming a socket which is durable and effectively sealed.

It will be understood that. modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present invention. 1

I claim as my invention:

In a bomb shell having a curved cylindrical wall portion, a hanger socket comprising a punched inwardly extending circular flange in said curved Wall, and a circular closed cup-shaped socket member disposed as a boss projecting into the interior of the shell and having a circular flange of substantially the same inside diameter as said cylindrical flange edge and welded edgewise in complete sealingrelation to the flange and defining therewith an outwardly opening socket entirely closed in moistureprooftrelation from the inside of the shell, the socket having a cylindrical internal wall suri face inclusive of both flanges and being threaded with a continuous thread that extends from adjacent the I mouth of the socket inwardly along both flanges andacross the weld joint between the flanges, so that a hanger member threadedly secured-in said socket by means of said thread will act to draw the socket member toward said inwardly extending wall flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS r 2,370,799 Kelley Mar. 6, 1945' 2,372,772 Ellis et al. Q. Apr. 3, 1945 2,381,890 Ebbets Aug. 14, 1945 -2,511,836 Cullen June 20, 1950 

